Enter Tartarus
Midnight approached, as Link stepped off the subway train. There was a slight chill in the air. Things here... felt different. It lacked the warmth that the castle had. The apparently abandoned lot was off limit to contestants, except during their turn to scale the tower. But Tartarus was nowhere in sight -- all Link could see was an old school, and a few others that had been asked to show up.
"Where --" Link began, but was quickly interrupted.
"You'll see soon enough." Mitsuru explained. "I want to go over how Tartarus works. You will have one hour to get as far into Tartarus as you can. When that hour is up, your places will be marked, and you will continue from there if you proceed into the next round -- which only half of you will do. The half of you that make it the furthest, will continue in this competition. There are seven blocks in Tartarus -- and at the end of each block is a barier. If two contestants reach the barrier before the time is up, then the other two contestants will be eliminated. There is no room for ties. Tartarus will test not only your physical strength, but your mental strength as well. Four of us will be available for support while you are in Tartarus. Myself, Teddie, Yamagishi, and Kujikawa. If at anytime you wish to forefit and leave the tower, do not hesitate to tell us. That is all."
It was quiet. The other contestants weren't up for small talk. Nor were any of the supports -- everybody was nervous. And with good reason. It would be the first time that anyone entered this version of Tartarus.
Link -- and the other contestants: Alucard, Magus, and Thrall all waited to be taken to the tower. Midnight crept closer as they all wondered where the tower was. 11:59:26. The wait was unnerving. 11:59:35. The supports didn't move. Was the tower behind the school? Why couldn't they go now? 11:59:45. They were going to be late. A tower couldn't be hidden so well in plain sight. 11:59:55. Fifty six. Fifty seven. Fifty eight. Fifty nine...
And then it happened -- the world around them began changing. A green aura surrounded everything, and the school had transformed into a large tower. The air now was colder than before. Link looked around him. Looked back to the castle, the lake now a pool of blood. This was the "Dark Hour" that Mitsuru had explained during orientation. An appropriate indeed.
"Shall we enter, then?" asked Mitsuru.
--Inside the Tower--
On the inside, the tower looked completely normal. There was a staircase leading to the next floor in the center of the floor. The four support characters were standing on the side, with gear in hand. On the other side, was a weird green device that nobody had seen before.
"Alright," Mitsuru began. "Yamigishi will be supporting Link. Teddie will support Thrall. Kujikawa will support Magus. And I'll be supporting Alucard. We will alert you when time is running out. Good luck to all of you."
The four participants lined up at the stairs, not even looking at one another. None were sure what was ahead. They slowly approached the door at the top of the stairs, and entered. The first match -- had begun.
---Link, 2F---
The second floor immediately looked familiar to Link. It was a fog-filled forest, that seemed to stretch onf orever. He looked to his left, and right. But none of the other participants were there. Had they gone on ahead of him? He didn't have time to think. So he just moved forward.
As he pushed on through the forest, he could hear the faint sound of a flute. The song reminded him of home. It soothed his mind and soul. It was a peaceful melody. Beautiful, and tranquil. Link smiled for a moment. This wasn't going to be so hard after all.
As he followed the melody, he watched closely for monsters. But there were none in the forest. It was empty except for the plant life that grew there. At least he thought it was -- until he could hear a familiar voice ---
"Listen!"
It was Navi! What was she doing here? Link turned around, and saw that it was in fact his old fairy. But what was she doing here?
"Listen!" Navi said again. "The forest is dangerous! Remember to use your sword!"
Link laughed. It wasn't so bad to have Navi around -- even if she were annoying from time to time. As he continued through the forest, Navi followed him.
"Listen!" she said again. This time with no helpful advice. "Listen! Listen! Hey! Listen!"
The voice was starting to get on his nerves. "Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!" She kept getting louder, and louder, and louder. Soon Link could no longer hear the flute in the distance. All he could hear were Navi's cries for attention. "Listen! Hey!". Link began running, trying to listen for the flute in the process. Just when he thought he had lost the fairy, there she was -- in front of him, screaming "Listen!"
Link turned around, and ran the other way. But again, the fairy caught up to him. He ran north, and then east, but again the fairy was in front of him. "Hey! Hey! Hey!" He wasn't sure how she got here, or why she was here. She wasn't providing him with helpful hints -- she was just screaming at him. He continued running in all different directions, hoping to lose her.. The faster he ran, the quicker she caught up with him. He wasn't sure where he was going. "Hey! Hey! Hey!" the fairy called out.
"What do you want?!" Link finally asked. "Listen! Listen!" the fairy said.
"I am listening!" Link pleaded. But the fairy wouldn't have it. She kept shouting the same words over and over again. The more he plead with her to listen to him, the thicker the fog in the forest got. Link got on his knees, and began crying -- why wouldn't Navi just leave him alone?
---Alucard 2F---
The castle looked different from how Alucard remembered it. But the castle always seemed as if it had a mind of it's own. It was ever changing. And this was no different. Things seemed easy -- almost a little to easy to him. The room was empty, except for an altar in the middle. Behind the altar, were the stairs to the next floor. All he had to do, was go up them. Then he'd be on the second floor.
Alucard walked around the altar, and toward the stairs. But when he got there, he found that he could not proceed. It was some brand of magic that would not let him pass. It was then that he heard footsteps. He turned around...
"Hello." a feminine voice said. "My name is Elisabeth. What are you doing here this time of night? Haven't you heard that a monster lives here?"
Alucard was confused. He had not seen this woman before. How did she get here? Was she trapped inside of Tartarus? Or had Tartaturs transported him to his father's castle...
The girl smiled. "You can't go up the stairs. I've tried..."
She was young, and attractive. Alucard figured that his father had led her here somehow. Tricked her into becoming a slave of his. Was the barrier meant for her, and not him?
"I can't read the writing on this altar..." Elisabeth said. "Can you?"
Alucard approached the altar that he had passed earlier. The writing was ancient Romanian. It was no wonder that Elisabeth could not read it. The words inscribed upon the altar were...
Ye Who Seek To Pass my sacred door
I require but a sacrifice
Of Human Blood
And Nothing More
Alucard was clearly freaked out by what the inscription on the altar said. But Elisabeth didn't seem to notice.
"I guess you can't read it either, huh?"
"It asked for a blood sacrifice." Alucard explained to her. He couldn't lie to her. He wasn't manipulative.
But the girl didn't seem to hear him. She kept smiling, and looking at the altar. "I'm getting married in a week, you know?"
"That's nice." Alucard told her.
"My fiance is writing a book! When it's done, he's going to let me read it!"
Alucard nodded, and smiled. Was she ignoring what he said? At least in regards to the altar? He regretted that he couldn't stay and talk to her any longer. But he had to move on to the next floor.
"So be it..." said Alucard. "If it requires a blood sacrifice, then I shall offer my own!"
Alucard slit his hand, and poured the blood on the altar. But nothing happened. The barrier still stood. "I SAID IF A BLOOD SACRIFICE YOU REQUIRE, TAKE MINE!"
But again, nothing happened. Alucard's blood was clearly not enough. He'd have to find another way past the barrier. Even if it meant losing time. He couldn't do to Elisabeth, what the altar had wanted him to do. It was entirely out of the question -- even at the risk of losing the contest.
---Magus, 2F---
Magus could see his reflection in the floor. It was made of reflective glass, and he could see himself as he had always seen himself - willing to go on, against all odds. He looked ahead, and saw that the staircase to the next floor was right in front of him. Beyond the stairs, was a maze of walls made of the same reflective glass that the floors were.
He approached the staircase cautiously -- this was too easy. There had to be some trick. And then he heard it -- her voice. Schala's voice.
"Janus..."
It called out to him, but he ignored him. "Hmph... is this the best you can do?"
He ignored Schala's call. It was an obvious trick, to get him to follow her into the maze. He pressed on, but as he reached the top of the stairs -- his eyes deceived him. There was Schala just as he remembered her. The sister he had been seeking for so long.
"Janus..." she said, floating towards the maze of walls. But Magus ignored her. She wasn't real. He knew that she was just some trick. It was clever, he admitted. But pathetic nonetheless. He wouldn't fall for a trick so easily. He continued up the stairs, and proceeded to the next floor.
..But he found himself at the bottom of the stairs, leading back to the first floor. He was in the same room that he had just come from. And he saw the same Schala that he had seen before. She was beckoning him to follow her. He had no choice, but to do so.
As he followed her into the maze, images from his past flashed through his mind. Mere memories... what were they good for? Even with them, he couldn't save Schala. That's all he could think about. It's all he wanted to think about. Even outside of Tartarus. Schala was his only concern. He followed her deep into the maze. What did the tower want him to do? Was it really as simple as following the illusion of his sister?
---Link, 2F---
"Link! Remember what Navi said." Fuuka told him over the intercom. "Don't think about it too much."
Link tried to think back to what Navi had told him. 'The forest is dangerous. Remember to use your sword.' Link suddenly realized what he had to do -- he drew his sword, and Navi immediately disappeared. The forest was calm once again. But the flute was no longer playing.
There wasn't much else for LInk to do now. Wandering around the forest aimlessly wouldn't help him. He considered giving up. But he couldn't bring himself to do it without trying. So he concentrated his efforts on transforming into his wolf form -- and before long, he was Wolf Link.
Even in Tartarus there was a scent to follow -- though Link did not know who's. He ran towards the source, aiming to find it as fast as he could. As he got closer, the scent became stronger, and before long, Link transformed back itno his human form -- not letting whoever the scent belonged to, see him as a wolf.
"Tingle! Tingle! Kooloo-limpah!" came a voice nearby. It was a voice that Link recognized. He cautiously approached the strange looking man that he knew as "Tingle".
"Would you like a map of the forest? 400 Rupees!" Tingle told him.
Link didn't have any rupees on him, though. So he could not purchase a map.
"Maybe you can find some in Tartarus?" Fuuka told him.
Yes.. he'd just have to find enough rupees to buy the map. Then he could go to the next floor..---Alucard, 2F---
Alucard tried every bit of magic he knew to break the barrier at the stairs -- but no matter what he tried, it failed. It was useless.
"I told you before, that you can't go that way!" Elisabeth said.
For a moment, Alucard considered forfeiting. The tower asked too much of him. To harm an innocent.. it was not in his nature. But to proceed in the tower... he needed only a little bit of her blood. What harm would it do, to slit her hand as he had his own? He couldnt' believe that he was actually considering it. But it seemed to be his only option.
"Come over here..." he said.
Elisabeth smiled, and obeyed Alucard's command. Alucard grabbed her hand. "Sorry..." he said, as he cut her hand. The blood dripped on the altar, and the room began to shake. He'd finally be able to proceed.
"I'm going now." He told Elisabeth. But she wasn't listening. She had fallen to the floor. Alucard looked in his pack for medicinal herbs. But there weren't any.
"Mitsuru. Is there anything I can do for Elisabeth?"
"I'm afraid not." Mitsuru responded. "I'm afraid.. she's dead."
"Dammit!" Alucard shouted. "WHY!?" He instantly regretted doing what he had done. Just a tiny cut... how could it have killed her? She was young. Beautiful. She had a lot to live for.
"Don't let her death be in vain." Mitsuru told him.
Alucard regained his composure. He then approached the stairs, and proceeded to the third floor...
---Thrall, 2F---
The wasteland seemed to be endless. And no matter how far he had gone, there were more Orc bodies lying about. Sometimes he thought he could see the other races standing over their bodies, laughing. He wasn't sure if it were part of the tower's games, or his imagination.
"C'mon Thrall!" Teddie said, hoping to cheer him up. "Don't go bear-zerk!"
Thrall wasn't sure if the tower was making Teddie say those things, or if it were just how he always was. He was attempting to make light of a situation that was anything but.
As Thrall traveled, the echo got louder and louder. He was sure that the source would be near by. It was a long time before he saw anything other than sand, and dead orcs. He had counted every single one he had passed, and he had counted well over ten thousand. What had happened here? Even though his rational mind was telling him that this wasn't real, part of him believed that it was. It was hard not to. He could see them. He could smell them. He could feel them. It bothered him greatly.
Finally, he saw something other than sand and bodies -- a figure in the distance. It was apparent that this figure was the one responsible for the voice. He approached it, but when he saw it -- he was more freaked out than he had been before. What he had seen -- was himself.
---Magus, 2F---
Magus continued following his sister through the maze. 'What a waste of time', Magus thought. Following an illusion around. What was the point of even doing this contest? Would whatever is at the top of Tartarus really help him in finding his sister? He wondered if what he was doing was worth it. He could quit now, and not waste his time. He could leave this world, and set off once more to find her. The thought had occurred to him -- but he realized that wasn't possible. He had no way of returning to his world. And according to the rules... nobody was allowed to leave until the contest was finished.
Magus had been blindly following Schala around for some time, before coming to a dead end. "Where's this..." he said to himself, turning around to see if Schala was behind him. But she wasn't -- he had been trapped between four walls. Then, he noticed something odd -- instead of his own reflection in the walls, he saw Schala.
"Let me pass!" Magus yelled. But Schala's reflection just smiled. "LET ME PASS!"
"Do you want to know where to find me?" Schala asked.
"YES!" Magus yelled. Did Tartarus know where his sister was? He'd gladly give up a chance in this tournament, if it meant finding Schala.
"Then be patient." The reflection told him. But being patient... wasn't something he was good at..
---Link, 2F---
"Four-hundred Rupees.' Link said, tossing a bag at Tingle. It had taken him a while to get them -- they weren't all easy to find. But he knew if he wanted to get further, he'd have to pay the wannabe fairy.
"Tingle! Tingle! Kooloo-limpah! Thank you for your patronage!" Tingle said, handing him a map. "Have a nice day, and please do business with us again!"
It felt oddly satisfying to Link, for him to hold the map in his hands. He knew now that he'd be advancing to the second floor soon enough. So long as the fairy's directions were true. But he had no reason to doubt Tingle. Though his prices were exuberant, his maps were always accurate. Link located his current location on the map, and then set off North.
The fog in the forest began to lift, as he walked towards the next fork in the road. He could faintly hear the sounds of a flute playing once again. Had it started back up because he was getting closer? It wasn't long before he reached another fork with three branches -- leading North, East, and West. Link glanced at the map, and then headed west.
At the next fork, he headed south. The flute got louder as he got closer. He knew that he had to be on the right path now. Tingle's map wasn't a trick after all. He was relieved to discover that. At the fork after that, he headed West. The flute got louder and louder as he got closer and closer. Finally, he could see the flute in the distance. It was raised in the air, but he could not see who was holding it. When he finally was close enough to see -- he discovered that nobody was playing the flute at all.
But Link didn't give it a second thought. The stairs to the next level were right behind the stump where the flute was floating. He proceeded up them, continuing on in his journey.
---Alucard, 3F---
The third floor looked a bit more like Alucard expected. It was maze like in design. Much more like the Tartarus that Mitsuru had described to him when she recruited him. Alucard proceeded to try to find his way around the maze, but was attacked by bats. Alucard knocked them down with his sword, and pressed onward.
The more he moved around in the maze, the more bats that attacked. He swatted them all down as if they were flies, having no trouble with them. He moved around as swiftly as he could, desperately searching for the stairs to the next floor.
"How am I doing, Mitsuru?" Alucard asked.
"You're doing well -- WATCH OUT! There's a Succubus ahead of you!"
Alucard dashed around the corner, and sure enough there was a succubus waiting for him. She was a busty, half-dressed woman, with red hair and wings. The sight may have enticed some men, but Alucard found the creature of darkness absolutely disgusting.
The succubus laughed, as Alucard approached her. "My master has sent me here to kill you!"
The succubus split into three, and Alucard quickly slashed the two false versions, and then struck at the real one. The real one withered in pain, as Alucard fought it off with another strike. He then jumped over her, and struck her from behind.
"You're not even good enough to kill." Alucard said, before running up the stairs behind her, proceeding to the 4th floor.
---Thrall, 2F---
Seeing himself say those words, made Thrall think. Was this really how he felt, without even knowing it? Did he see himself as the cause of problems? Or was the tower just messing with him? He couldn't be sure. Not completely.
"Am I truly the cause of this?"
"Aww!" Teddie said. "This isn't your fault thrall! I mean he BEARly looks like you!"
Thrall was fed up with Teddie's bear puns. "STOP MAKING LIGHT OF THIS SITUATION!" Thrall yelled.
"Teddies bear-y sorry!"
"That's it." Thrall said. "I quit. Get me out of here now, bear."
"Aww, don't be that way Thrall! I promise I won't do it anymore."
"No. I quit." said Thrall. "Now get me out of here."
"If that's what you want..."
And with that, a white light surrounded Thrall, and before he knew it, he was back at the entrance.
"Ahh! Please don't hit Teddie!" Teddie said, cowering in fear. But Thrall shook his head. It wasn't Teddie's fault. He knew it. In the end, it was really his own fault. The puns were only making him mad, because he saw everything as real. Even though he knew it wasn't. Teddie in his own way was trying to tell him that none of it was real. But he wouldn't listen. He took the situation too seriously -- and that's why he lost.
---Magus, 2F---
"Magus.. Thrall quit! Now you just have to pass Link or Alucard, and you advance!" Rise told him.
Magus grunted. "It doesn't help me, if I don't know how to get out of this trap!"
"You can figure it out!" Rise told him.
Magus grunted again. He wasn't sure he could -- nothing was making sense.
---Link, 3F---
The third floor, was filled with enemies much unlike the second. Link quickly grabbed his shield, and deflected a deku nut back at a deku scrub who had shot at him. It flung back, and killed the scrub instantly. The rest of the floor was littered with Deku Scrubs -- none of them any harder than the first. Link's shield acted as a weapon of destruction, and none of the scrubs stood a chance. It took little time for him to make his way to the stairs, and dash up them to the fourth floor.
---Alucard, 4F---
Back in the castle... at least that's what it appeared to Alucard. He was in the Throne Room. And in front of him was.... Richter?
"Richter!" Alucard said. "What are you doing here?"
"Die monster! You don't belong in this world!" Richter said.
Was this the castle's memory? What was going on. Alucard didn't understand. "What's going on, Richter?"
"Tribute? You steal men's souls, and make them your slaves!"
Alucard tried to move out of the way, but Richter's eyes followed him. "I don't understand."
"Your words are as empty as your soul! Mankind ill-needs a savior such as you! Have at you!"
Richter drew his whip, and slung it at Alucard. Alucard wasn't sure what to do. Richter must have thought Alucard was his father. It was all just a misunderstanding. Alucard would show him, by not attacking.
"I don't want to fight, Richter!"
But Richter wouldn't listen. He threw holy water at him, and crosses, and various other weapons he had on him. Alucard didn't draw his weapon. He took the punishment that Richter dealt out, and looked for the stairs. But they were nowhere to be seen. Would he have to fight Richter in order to find the stairs?
---Magus, 2F---
Magus was still trapped between the reflective glass walls. His sister remained still.
"Tell me... where you are." Magus said.
"Patience, Janus. And I shall reveal to you my location."
Magus waited a bit longer. But the reflection said nothing. It neither moved, nor made any sounds. His patience began to wear thin. The reflection would tell him nothing, and whenever he would ask, it would merely repeat the same phrase over and over again. Patience...
He didn't have time for this -- not if he was going to make it to the third floor. But the third floor didn't matter to him. All that mattered was Schala.
---Link, 4F---
The fourth floor was dark. Link could barely see in front of him. The floor was soft, so it was obvious that he wasn't in an area like the one earlier. But somehow... it all felt familiar. As he crept closer to the center of the room, he felt a presence there, but he wasn't sure what -- and then he saw it -- a giant eyeball. It was Queen Gohma!
Queen Gohma stood before him, and he quickly took out his slingshot, and shot the eye of the beast twice, before running towards it with a Deku Stick. He jumped at it, and slashed it in the eye with the stick. He then quickly withdrew his sword, and slashed at it three times, instantly killing it. All that was left of Queen Gohma, was a pile of rubble.
From behind the body of Queen Gohma, stairs appeared. Link ran up them, and proceeded to the fifth floor.
---Alucard, 4F---
Richter kept slashing Alucard with his whip, and Alucard continued taking the abuse. He wasn't going to fight back. He could convince Richter that he wasn't his father. Or at least, he'd try.
"I'm not my father!" Alucard yelled. But Richter, like Elisabeth earlier hadn't heard him.
Alucard realized that this wasn't really Richter -- but this Richter had the same skills as the one he knew. The same as the one who defeated his father. He had hoped that he had the same sense as the Richter he knew as well. But it all seemed for naught.
"Fine, I'll fight." Alucard said, realizing that he was running out of time.
---Magus, 2F---
Magus had finally lost his patience. He was sure that he had already almost been cost the contest -- he wanted to know where Schala was, and he wanted to know now.
"TELL ME NOW DAMMIT!" Magus screamed, swinging his scythe at the mirror image of Schala. And just like that -- the stairs appeared in front of him. This had clearly been a test of his psyche.
Magus grunted. He wondered if the tower even knew where his sister was. Had he waited, would he have been told? Or should he have broken the reflective glass earlier?
---Link, 5F---
As Link climbed the stairs up the fifth floor, he saw that this floor appeared different from the others. The stairs were right in front of him. And in front of it, a barrier. This must have been the stopping place for the first block of Tartarus.
"Good job!" Fuuka said. "It looks like you are the first one to reach the barrier!"
He was relieved. Tartarus wasn't nearly as easy as he had thought it would be. Fuuka then transported him back to the entrance, where he waited to see who else would make it to round 2.
---Alucard 4F---
Alucard jumped over Richter's whip, and then swung his sword, knocking Richter back. He then turned into a bat, and flew behind Richter, and pushed him over.
"Just remember.. this isn't Richter." Alucard told himself.
He then threw a fireball Richter's way, and burnt the Belmont boy.
---Magus, 3F---
Magus had finally reached the third floor. He had wasted enough time on the second, he had to proceed fast if he were to pass Alucard.
Only Roly's stood in his way, and he took them all out with ease with his dark magic -- one wave of his hand, and he sent a dozen of them to the promised land. They fell before his magic, as he ran in search of the stairs. He had no idea what would await him on the fourth floor -- but he had to get there if there was any hope of him continuing in this contest.
--Alucard 4F---
Richter snapped his whip towards Alucard, and Alucard grabbed the whip by the end, and took it out of his hand. Alucard then slapped him with it, and Richter fell over. He felt bad about fighting. But it was the only way for him to make it to the next level.
"Humans ill deserve such fate..." Alucard muttered to himself.
The stairs appeared where Richter had once stood. Alucard ran up them, hoping he wasn't too late.
---Magus, 3F---
Magus ran, eliminating all of the Roly's in his way. His Dark Matter spell wiped out several of them. Finally, the stairs were in sight -- he just had to run towards them.
"Sorry, Magus. It looks like you lose." he heard Rise say. A white light engulfed Magus, and before he knew it, he was transported back to the first floor.
---1F---
"Congratulations to Link and Alucard for advancing to the barrier on the fifth floor." Mitsuru said. "I'm sorry to say that you and Thrall have been eliminated, Zeal."
Magus slammed his fist as hard as he could against the walls of Tartarus. How could he lose! He couldn't understand it. But he had no chance but to accept defeat. He'd have to find a way to spend the rest of his time at the castle.
~*Post Match*~
Link returned to his room, half past midnight. It seemed as if time didn't pass during the dark hour.
"How was it?" Yuri asked.
"Tartarus will certainly test you." Link told him. "...Thrall quit."
"What? He didn't look like the type to just quit."
Link shook his head. "I thought about quitting for a minute, there. Anyway, I"m going to sleep. Good night."
"Night'." Yuri told him.
As Link closed his eyes, trying to go to sleep, visions of Tartarus continued to haunt him. How did the tower know so much about the contestants? How was it creating those images? And what was in store for him in round two?